Charles h



(No Model.)

C. H. ROBERTS.

TRAGTION WHEEL. No. 357,035. l Patented Feb. l, 1887..

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y m: a m, E Ny C 0 E i E f y UNITEI) STATES PATENT Orifice.

CHARLES H. ROBERTS, OF WASHINGTON, INDIANA.V i Y TRAOoTloN-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,035I dated February 1, 1887.

Application filed October 21, 1886. Serial No. 216,897. (No model.)

vbeing had to the accompanying drawings, and

to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

My invention has relation to compound or compensating traction-wheels for road or trac-Y tion engines, and the object is to provide a main driving-wheel that will be capable. of

steering the machine, and to provide an increased bearing-surface when used in heavy or vmarshy ground, and also one in which the spades may be automatically adj usted, so as to be proj ectcd at any desired distance to, corref spond to the nature of the ground traveled on; and to these ends the novelty` consists in the construction and combination of the parts of the same, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the same letters of reference indicate like parts of the intion, of my improved wheel.

vention. t

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in sec- Fig. 2 is an end view with the sprocket driving-wheel removed, and Fig. 3 is a sectional detail of the inner end of one of the movable spades.

A is the main shaft or axle, and it is provided at its outer ends with two sprocket driving-wheels, B B. p

C is a hub, rigidly secured to the shaft A by a removable key, c, and this hub has a series of arms, c', the outer ends of which are each provided with abeveled pinion, D, all of which mesh on the one side with a beveled gear, E, on the drum F, and on the other side with a similar beveled gear (not shown) on the opposite drum, G. This forms the Well-known compensating gear, and no further description of its operation will be required. g

H H are a series of levers fulcrumed to lugs g on the inside of the wheel, their outer ends being provided each with a friction-roller, g;

and 7L is a coil-spring, which serves to normally press the lever H inward toward the center of the wheel.

I is a strap which encompasses thelever and extends radially inward, forming a box for the spiral spring t', one end of which rests against the yoke of the strap and the other end rests on top of the inner end of the spade K. The

' spade is provided with a vertical slot, k, through which the bolt 7c passes, said bolt performing the double function of securing the strap to the lever and forming a guide for the inner end of the spade, while the outer'end of said spade is guided by the,slot n in the periphery of the drum, thereby insuring a parallel motion of the spade.

M is a frame depending from a portion, M', of the main frame of the machine, and it is adjustabl y secured thereto by means of the wedges mm, as shownin Fig. 2, whereby it will be seen that the said frame may be adj usted up or down by changing the position of the wedges.

N is an annular ring secured to the inside of the frame M and, as shown, eccentric with the shaft A.

The ring N being stationary, as the drum revolves, the friction-rollers g ride around on the outside of it, and as the drum continues to revolve, the lever on the top is pressed inward by the action of its spring h, so as to keep the roller on the end of the lever in contact with the ring N, therebykeeping the spade flush with the periphery of the drum. As the drum continues to revolve, the roller rides around on the ring and cornes to that part which is farther from the center of the shaft and gradually forces the lever and spade outward until the lowest point is reached, and the lever and spade as gradually withdrawn as it was projected in the rst instance. lThis operation serves to keep the spade-blades clean and free from clogging; and by adjusting the frame M and ring N, as above described, the degree to whichthc spades will project may be regulated to correspond to the nature of the ground that is being traveled over. Should the lower spade come in contact with a rock, stump, or other hard substance, the spring will take up the strain and allow the spade to recede inwardly without interfering with the momentum of or jarring the machine.

IOC

In constructing the double drum I make the outside diameters parallel or cylindrical for a short distance, to form a firm support for the machine, and normally or in traveling on hard roads only these cylindrical portions P l? come in contact with the ground, while as the ground becomes softer the cylindrical portions Sink into the ground and the conical surfaces R R come in Contact with the ground, and the amount of bearing-surface gradually increased until enough is presented to sustain the Weight of the machine.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new- 1. The combination, with a pair of divided drums having outer cylindrical rims and inner tapering rims providcdwith suitable gearwlleels, of the central hub having a series of arms provided with pinions mutually meshing with both oi said gear-wheels on the drum, as set forth.

2. The combination,with the drum provided with a series of levers provided with spades, of the frame carrying an eccentric-ring for automatically operating the spades, as set forth.

3. The combination, with the main frame of the engine and the auxiliary adjustable frame provided with wedges for adj usting the same, of the drum provided with aseries of levers pivoted therein and having the spades adjust-ably secured thereto and provided with frictionrollers arranged to travel around and in contact with a ring on the auxiliary frame, as set forth.

In-testimony `whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. ROBERTS.

Witnesses:

H. J. Ennis, R. W. BrsHor. 

